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Aquamaxx 17.1 Gallon Caridina Tank Build


Steensj2004

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1 hour ago, sdlTBfanUK said:

If you have everything ready you may as well fill the tank and start off the cycle!

Don't rush the cycling though!

I don't think I have ever not lost a few new shrimps in the first couple of weeks in a tank, no matter how careful you are (very rare to see the dead ones though)? I usually allow about 20% will die in the first 2 weeks from my experiences over the years? Even the last 10 I got 10 days ago,1 died by day 2, but more may have died out of sight.

Do you have the Amanos still in that tank?

I haven't ever said this before, but you have a lot of shrimp in that small tank so you may need to feed a bit more in that small tank for now as there may not be enough biofilm? Be cautious though!

Fantastic you have some berried.......

Simon

Amanos are still in the tank. I just don’t have somewhere to move  them currently. Feeding a pellet in the evening, and bloodworms after work. They attack it pretty quickly. High protein may have encouraged the breeding? Either way, everything disappears quickly, I’m finally seeing the,”Swarm” I’ve seen in other people’s videos when I feed. I may increase slightly as they are devouring this stuff quickly. 

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4 hours ago, Steensj2004 said:

High protein may have encouraged the breeding

Yes, definitely. I suggest feeding bloodworms to anyone that have difficulty breeding shrimps.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Update. I filled the tank, unfortunately, there was some melting of plants and some light hair algae( algae is only on the leaves of some plants, nowhere else?). Adjusted my light schedule and intensity. Things are looking better. Did a 70% water change, remineralized with GH+ powder, and clean tonight. Levels are as follows:

 

PH: 6.4

Temp: 75

GH: 6-7

KH: 0-1

TDS: 140

 

Wondering  when I should transfer the shrimps... I want to order 10-20 more CRS, and I’m considering mixing in some CBS. I’m not concerned with selling these, so it would be neat to have two different colors. I know the Black coloration is dominant, but, from what I’ve read, I’ll still get reds from offspring in two-ish generations. Someone said expect 25-30% reds. What do you guys think?

My  additional plants haven’t been delivered today, so thats a bummer.

Edited by Steensj2004
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Those parameters are perfect!

I think I experienced the same with the algae on plants when I restarted the caridina shrimp tank, but mine seems to have almost cleared up as well - taken months though.

One of my failed attempts with tap water many years ago I had PRL and PBL and it did look much more interesting than just the one colour. They didn't live long enough (maybe 6 months) to really know what the offspring would look like though they will still be red crystal or black crystal  so they should be fine together. If one colour does become more dominant then you can always get some more of the lesser coloured ones anyway in the future.. I did get red babies but no babies lived very long as it was tap water!

I would try transferring just some shrimps (may be a third) over to the new tank if you are sure it is cycled and see how they go in a week before transferring the rest over? You won't want too many in the tank anyway if you will be messing about with plants/layout still and you won't loose the whole lot if something does go wrong? Maybe also put the Amanos in the new tank for now so the ones in the old tank won't be fitting with them any more for food?

Simon

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Shrimp have been transferred. The new bunch of Repens arrived last night, and was promptly cut and planted. I am unhappy that the size of this batch’s leaves are very large. I’m confused by that. Either way, the two tanks had a difference of only 10 TDS and .2 PH. Four hours of dripping later, and the levels were exact. They immediately wen my to town devouring all the white film on the tree, and other bits. All were alive and happy this AM. 

 

Several smaller shrimp were hiding, and I saw them in the old tank this AM. The two remaining CRS have been caught and placed into a breeder box, I will drip and transfer them this evening. I still plan to order some  CBS and some more CRS. Waiting on a friends new  breeding tank to finish cycling so we can combine orders to save on shipping, looks like he has about two weeks left on that.

 

Can anyone tell me how to upload photos? No matter what I do, I keep getting hit with the ,”2.4mb limit,” error.... 

 

1CC23777-2F69-49F4-86BA-F71944935310.jpeg

Edited by Steensj2004
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I also forgot to add, the shrimp absolutely devoured ALL of the white film on this driftwood tree. I had a decent layer, I’m impressed.

 

FTS:

D53E804D-5629-4C71-BE6C-6E3A241DD10D.jpeg

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56 minutes ago, sdlTBfanUK said:

Great to hear it is going so well!

I am glad you have managed to upload photos as well.

Simon

Thanks! It’s basically one at a time for pictures. I am holding my breath for the transferees, as it was several weeks before they died previously....

 

At what size do caradina shrimp mature for breeding?

Edited by Steensj2004
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You should be fine with the transferred shrimps as long as the tank was cycled, as the water parameters of both tanks were similar! Best to be wary though for the first few weeks as you say?

I am not sure about the size they start breeding but I believe it is about 6 months (3 months for cherry). It is more difficult to see the eggs with caridina shrimp as the shells aren't transparent! My Caridina shrimp stopped breeding for a few months in the winter so that may happen in conjunction if that happens where you live:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYvkSWrZAEc

Simon

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2 hours ago, sdlTBfanUK said:

You should be fine with the transferred shrimps as long as the tank was cycled, as the water parameters of both tanks were similar! Best to be wary though for the first few weeks as you say?

I am not sure about the size they start breeding but I believe it is about 6 months (3 months for cherry). It is more difficult to see the eggs with caridina shrimp as the shells aren't transparent! My Caridina shrimp stopped breeding for a few months in the winter so that may happen in conjunction if that happens where you live:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYvkSWrZAEc

Simon

The tank is cycled well. Sponges were in another tank for a over a month, used cycled water, stone, and substrate(1/2 new Amazonia which creates ammonia as well). Pure ammonia was being dosed to build bacteria and monitor the colony. Final test was at 3 ppm, reduced completely within 24 hours. 

Ive heard temp can affect breeding as well, suggestions on that? Or is it hogwash?

Edited by Steensj2004
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4 hours ago, Steensj2004 said:

heard temp can affect breeding

What have you heard specifically? - obviously if it's too hot or too cold they stop breeding. 

Temps will affect the % of males vs females you get from the eggs.

 

Edited by jayc
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1 hour ago, jayc said:

What have you heard specifically? - obviously if it's too hot or too cold they stop breeding. 

Temps will affect the % of males vs females you get from the eggs.

 

I’ve heard lower temps decrease breeding. 

 

Do higher temps yield more males or females? I assume you want more females. I’m currently at 74, should I go up? 

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As per the video, I don't think temperature is what stops the breeding in winter as my tank has a heater so is pretty constant, except when it gets really warm. Temperature may affect the proportion of male/female shrimplets and maybe the rate of breeding but I suspect it is related to pressure (as per the video).

Simon

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Some exciting news... I can’t get pictures of the jades, but two are about to drop shrimplettes. Also....

734DBE79-41D9-41AF-949C-1632EA6E3ECC.jpeg

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On 9/25/2019 at 9:42 AM, Steensj2004 said:

Do higher temps yield more males or females? I assume you want more females.

If you want more shrimps, then yes, more females is the way to go.

Have a read of this article I started ... read it all the way cause the topic starts later on. Take note of Michael's comments especially.

It's only a degree or two change. Assuming 23degC is the 50/50 male:female ratio. Than changing your water to 22degC during gestation period will give you more females.

 

 

Lovely mama shrimp you got there BTW.

Edited by jayc
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Great news and photo! Hope it goes well?

Personally I wouldn't worry about the ratio of females as each female has up to 30 shrimps each time they are berried so the population will all of a sudden explode once the young get to breeding age as well as I know, it happened to me. Unless you are wanting to start selling them on (which you say you are not) I would just enjoy watching the numbers grow naturally. A tank can only support a certain  number of shrimps anyway! Patience and it will all happen naturally!

Simon

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CRS are slowly dying off. No idea why. 

PH: 6.3-6.4

GH: 6

KH:1

TDS: 157

Temp: 74F

 Ammonia:0

 

I am losing  one every few days it seems, or just here and there. No idea what the heck is wrong.

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The parameters look fine! The only thing I would suspect (based on others experience as I have not used it) would be the CO2 if you are using it as you planned to?

Simon

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34 minutes ago, sdlTBfanUK said:

The parameters look fine! The only thing I would suspect (based on others experience as I have not used it) would be the CO2 if you are using it as you planned to?

Simon

I’ve not been injecting C02, so we can rule that out 

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Good to hear you aren't using the CO2!

How many shrimps are in the tank at the moment? Do you have any baby ones yet? What size are the dying ones? What have you done with the Amano, are they in with the cherry shrimp? What food are you feeding as well as the bloodworm?

I usually expect some to die in the first 2 weeks of going into a tank and you are about at that stage so see how it goes from this point and hopefully it settles down! The tank has only been running a month in total as well so it may just take a bit longer to settle?

Simon

 

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Mostly larger ones dying, maybe age. I haven’t seen any babies yet. 

 

Foods:

Blood Worms

BacterAE

Bug Bites

 

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Hopefully it will settle from here onwards, and as you say they may have just been old, they don't live all that long anyway and older ones HATE any changes!

I would think about getting some specific food ready for the babies. I use Bacter AE but I don't think that it is a food for the shrimps, more a food for the biofilm/bacteria? I'm also not sure about the bug bites, my Betta loves them though! May be a good idea to buy some specialised shrimp food as well, you don't need much so it lasts a long time and always feed less than they recommend! Indian almond leaves are good as biofilm grows well on them and they take a long time to break down, plus the tannins are good!

I will watch this space with interest and fingers crossed it settles from here on, timewise I think in my experience it should improve once the shrimps have been in the tank a couple of weeks and the tank has been running a month, which is about where you are now.

Simon

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Another dead shrimp. I’m beginning to wonder if it’s bad molts??

 

STILL no ammonia, checked again. I’m going to do a water change. The tank is isolated in a way that wouldn’t allow anything to get into the water.

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Sorry you are still having problems and all I can recommend is you ride it out a bit longer and don't over panic as that can make thigs worse. Doing a water change usually triggers a molt  so small and regular is probably the way to go (not too large)! With the changing tanks and power outage it may just have weakened the older/adult shrimps!

I am having a similar situation myself and my tank has been running for 3 months? Almost all the original shrimps I added July have died (not seen any bodies though as my tank is much more densely planted etc) but I am putting those down to being bought through a shop and the tank probably wasn't ready as it hasn't gone as previous tanks did from day 1. The tank is looking better and I added shrimps direct from a breeder mid september and they did well for a few weeks but I'm now seeing less (they could be hiding, again no bodies seen). All parameters are ideal, as yours are, so I really am at a loss and will just have to ride it out a bit longer and hope it works itself out? Everything I have done has worked before with the only difference being the substrate so unless there is a disease/pest or something else killing the shrimp I am at a loss also with mine?

It may be worth seeing if you can get something like this (Other manufacturers do a similar) as you aren't using leaves:

https://www.pro-shrimp.co.uk/shrimp-king/804-shrimp-king-humin-fluid-vital-4001615061420.html

It does slightly brown the water. I would also get a shrimp food, maybe snowflake in case they aren't getting enough food which if they do mob the food may  be an indication - my shrimp don't touch anything I put in yet as I assume there is enough biofilm!

Simon

ps Keep us updated!

 

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2 hours ago, sdlTBfanUK said:

Sorry you are still having problems and all I can recommend is you ride it out a bit longer and don't over panic as that can make thigs worse. Doing a water change usually triggers a molt  so small and regular is probably the way to go (not too large)! With the changing tanks and power outage it may just have weakened the older/adult shrimps!

I am having a similar situation myself and my tank has been running for 3 months? Almost all the original shrimps I added July have died (not seen any bodies though as my tank is much more densely planted etc) but I am putting those down to being bought through a shop and the tank probably wasn't ready as it hasn't gone as previous tanks did from day 1. The tank is looking better and I added shrimps direct from a breeder mid september and they did well for a few weeks but I'm now seeing less (they could be hiding, again no bodies seen). All parameters are ideal, as yours are, so I really am at a loss and will just have to ride it out a bit longer and hope it works itself out? Everything I have done has worked before with the only difference being the substrate so unless there is a disease/pest or something else killing the shrimp I am at a loss also with mine?

It may be worth seeing if you can get something like this (Other manufacturers do a similar) as you aren't using leaves:

https://www.pro-shrimp.co.uk/shrimp-king/804-shrimp-king-humin-fluid-vital-4001615061420.html

It does slightly brown the water. I would also get a shrimp food, maybe snowflake in case they aren't getting enough food which if they do mob the food may  be an indication - my shrimp don't touch anything I put in yet as I assume there is enough biofilm!

Simon

ps Keep us updated!

 

I’m not planning on changing anything, as my tank parameters seem to be great. I did a 3 gallon change which is my weekly regimen, but that’s it. I also have a handful of shrimp food from Shrimp king( sampler pack which has Mineral, Leaf, Snow Pops, Complete, and one other one I can’t recall). The shrimp don’t seem all too interested in them, and in such a large tank, they seem to be content with biofilm for now. I just hope this mama holds on to drop her shrimplettes.... hopefully the yield is decent and I can get the population back up. I’m down to 6-7 Crystals.

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